Among women older than 40, the age at which routine mammography should normally begin, 77 reported ever having had a mammogram, while 29 percent said they'd had one in the past year. The actual rates, according to their medical records, were 40 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
Nearly all of the women said they had had a Pap test at some point in their lives, but medical records showed that only 58 percent had.
Among women older than 50, the age at which colon cancer screening should begin, 56 percent said they'd had an FOBT at least once before, while the rate based on medical records was just 11 percent.
It's possible that in some cases, the women did have tests that were not documented on their records, according to Powe's team. But the findings highlight a need to close the gap between women's estimates of their screening history and their actual rates, the researchers say.
Health centers could help by developing better "patient reminder systems," they note, and by giving patients written summaries of the tests and procedures they have at each office visit.
SOURCE: Oncology Nursing Forum, March 2008.
